Worth
by CheetosAreOrange234
Summary: When Ruffnut and Astrid find themselves in a hostage situation, things go from bad to worse. It is uncertain on whether both will make it out alive. [Based loosely on the episode "Midnight Scrum." *Contains Spoilers* & Lots of Feels.]
1. Chapter 1 - Walking on Air

**I got awesome feedback from my first HTTYD:RTTE fanfic! So, I decided I would try at another. I have literally watched Season 4 over three times. Best season by far. Our babies have grown so close. Like the episode "Twintuition", "Midnight Scrum" also pushed fanfic ideas on me. It's the episode where Viggo put a bounty on Hiccup's head. Thus, this fanfic was created. This story won't be too long as I am still trying to get the hang of each character.**

 **So here goes…**

" _ **That's the thing about pain, it demands to be felt." – John Green**_

Nothing could be seen but darkness. There was a nasty smell of sweat and blood from within her closed area.

Sounds of the waves splashing against rocks could be heard from below and song birds could be heard from above. A heart beat in her head could be heard from within. It didn't take her long to realize that this wasn't where she was supposed to be.

Ruffnut was supposed to be safely on the edge with her brother sleeping beside her.

So how did she end up with a sack thrown over her and a tight rope around her waist? She couldn't move her hands as they were tied up behind her back.

What was going on? What happened...Oh.

Ruffnut faintly remembered hearing Chicken squawk frantically outside their door. Ruffnut hadn't been asleep, instead brushing her hair and Tuffnut didn't budge. She investigated only to find a bundle of feathers lying there without a chicken. Panic raised in her throat but before she could rush back in for Tuff, a heavy object connected with her temple. She was out like a light.

Thus waking up here.

"Ugh... I don't know what's goin' on, but when I get out someones gonna pay." She grumbled out while focusing on what she was sitting on. Stone.

"Ruffnut! Your here too?! You okay?" Astrid's voice piped out to her left. Astrid was utterly relieved that she wasn't alone in this mess... but by Thor did it have to be Ruffnut ?

"Astrid? Woah... What... What happened? " Ruffnut wasn't alone like she had thought she was. Good, that was convenient. Maybe the other were here too!

"I..don't know. .. Dragon hunters.. I think. I was out sharpening my axe .. I was ambushed. Hey, Ruff, try moving closer to me. We have to get out of here." Astrid was clearly confused, but clearly this was a serious matter. Astrid always knew what to do.

"Okay.. Is anyone else here?" Ruffnut asked as she inched her body towards Astrid's voice.

"I don't think so, Ruff. But we won't know until we get out of these ropes." Astrid replied quickly. "Oof. Hey, watch it!"

"Oops. Sorry..." Yep. Definitely Astrid. Ruff could feel the muscles in her forearms as she leaned against her. She shifted as Astrid played with her ropes that binder her wrists. Ruffnut grunted with discomfort before her wrists were free. Ruffnut immediately removed her sack to find... nothing?

They were in a pit-like room. A well-built pit. It was a nice pit. Sunlight lit up the small space from the grate that blocked the top entrance. Ruffnut squinted causing pain in her head to erupt as stared up at it.

"Ruffnut, untie me. Come on." Astrid replied impatiently as she struggled in her ropes.

"Uhm Astrid. I think we gotta another problem." Ruffnut replied to her as she hastily fumbled with Astrid's knots. Wow. Whoever tied these must be the knot tying king of typing ropes. Also, they probably knew of the Hofferson fieriosity.

"What? What do you mean? Wha-" The sack was off and her vibrant eyes closed quickly due to the blinding sunlight. "Ugh. Great."

They were trapped. There was no way to climb the walls. Astrid didn't have to check to know that their captors had stripped them of their weopans. Great. Just great. She didn't have a clue where she was and stuck in a pit with Ruffnut Thorston, but it was better than being stuck in a pit with Snotlout. Astrid turned her head to look at Ruff, her eyes widened.

"Oh thor! Ruff. Your head is bleeding."

"Oh? Is it?" Ruffnut obviously wasnt aware as her habd frlt around the top of her forehead. She winced and stared ar her reddening fingers. "Oh. Guess is it is. Cool! You think i'll get a scar ?"

Astrid quickly tore off a shred of her tunic and pressed it to Ruffnut's skull. It probably wasn't as bad as it looked. Head wounds bled a lot anyhow. "No, It isn't to bad. Just keep this on it."

Ruffnut groaned and held the cloth to her head. "How come they didn't hit you as hard as they did me?"

"I don't know. Maybe the guy that hit you has a stronger swing."

"Huh. Ouch."

"Okay. Listen. We need to get out of here. It's morning, Hiccup should know we're missing by now. Stormfly will track me."

"You're missing." Ruffnut scoffed while watching Astrid.

"Wait, what?" Astrid tilted her head in confusion but Ruffnut was quick to reply.

"Hiccup will know that your missing immediately. It'll take my idiot brother a while to notice I'm missing. So after Hiccup panics, the boys will gather around and then notice I'm missing. " Ruffnut shrugged her shouldars as she corrected her blonde companion.

"What's that supposed to mean, Ruffnut. You can't be-" Before she could get her words out, the grate above them lifted.

A wooden ladder landed in the dust before the two.

Both blondes stayed still while staring at the ladder.

"Huh. How convenient." Ruff took a step forward but Astrid caught her before she could touch the wood.

"Not a good idea, Ruff." Astrid warned as she glared at the ladder. All was silent up above but there was no way that Astrid was buying it.

"Look Astrid. This ladder is the only way out. I want out. I don't like this pit. It's way deeper than the boar pit. This could be our only chance to get out. Let's just go." Ruffnut replied impatiently as she gripped the wooden beams.

Astrid hesitated, but did a weigh in on Ruff's words. "Fine. Go. But I know this is a bad idea."

Ruff grumbled something that she didn't quite catch. Bad idea. There was a twinge in the pit of Astrid's stomach as she followed the twin up the ladder. This whole situation seemed wrong. There was a constant battle between the dragon riders and hunters. Astrid had gotten used to the hunters attempting to kill them and their dragons… but this seemed… different. Once she reached the top, she knew for a fact that it was a bad idea listening to Ruffnut. She knew that, yet why in Thor's name did she do it.

Sharpened arrows were pointed at the two with a group of men behind each bow.

"Well, well, well. Both of you have already escaped your binds. I've expected nothing less." A raven haired man stood tall amongst each of the men. He was a stranger. He was weaponless, standing with his arms behind his back and sharp silver eyes glaring at the two.

Astrid stood her ground at Ruffnut's side with a glare matching the stranger's. "Who are you and what do you intend to do to us?"

There was an upward twitch in the corner of the man's mouth. "Hm. Sorry, Excuse me, where are my manners. My name is Lo'kir. I am no one special really. Just a man making a mark on the world. I'm here to collect bounty. You two are the key to gaining that bounty."

"Uh. Last time I checked, we aren't the ones that have a bounty on our heads. Mr. Grey Eyes. " Ruffnut barked as she placed a hand on her hip with a dull expression. Seriously, what was with this guy?

Lo'kir narrowed his silver gaze, but gave a small chuckle in the back of his throat. "My dear Ruffnut, it isn't you two that I am after. Hiccup Haddock is my target. My fellow bounty hunters have tried and failed. Thus, I have my own way of collecting him."

"Hiccup is smart. He won't just walk into your trap like you think. Let us go, this is a waste of your time." Astrid hissed out all the while watching each man with fierce eyes. There were five, not including Lo'kir. She didn't like the way they looked at her or Ruffnut. All eyes were on them. Each of the men had a glint of hunger in their eyes and it caused Astrid's guard to sky rocket. She shifted a glance to Ruffnut. She was also standing firmly on the ground, but her shoulders didn't appear nearly as rigid as Astrid's did.

"Ah, ah, ah. Maybe not. But Hiccup will come for you. That's a fact. Hiccup Haddock always makes his capture so immensely difficult. But with what I have planned, not even his Night Fury will be able to stop him from walking into my trap." The silver eyes glared coldly towards the blondes with a smirk lighting up his expression.

"Now. Shall we get started? Men… You may choose.."

At that moment, all hell broke loose.

The men rushed towards the blondes. Astrid gave out a animalistic growl and fists were thrown. Ruffnut matched her snarl and launched herself at the burly man rushing at her. They had no weapons, but both blondes weren't a force to be messed with. Astrid was highly skilled in fighting, she had been trained heavily in hopes one day to join the Berk guard, according to her parent's wishes. Her fists managed to know out two. With years and years of rough housing with the boys, not to mention growing up with her brother, Ruffnut was highly skilled in knowing how to fight male figures larger than she was. True to her name, she wouldn't be taken lightly.

But as Astrid anticipated, five against two failed her.

"Hey! Let me go! You won't take me alive!"

Astrid made the mistake of snapping her head to Ruffnut's distress causing the closest man to take her to the ground. Pain fled up her spine and there was a sudden ringing in her head as the back of her skull hit the ground. Suddenly, the bald man was on top of her with his beefy fingers clasping around her throat. Astrid gasped in sudden panic and reached for the man's face, she dug her nails into his cheek fiercely while baring her teeth.

The man didn't let go like she had anticipated. He dealt with the pain while grinning. She couldn't breathe! She needed air! Just behind her attacker's shoulder, she could faintly spot Lo'kir watching in the same position he had been in while wearing that stupid smirk. One hand left her throat and went for the bottom rim of her shirt. She felt the crisp air on her stomach as her belt was loosened as his beefy hand traveled up her shirt. Her back arched and her hands freed themselves from his face. She reached for the hand around her throat in attempt to gasp in some oxygen. "S-stop!" She sputtered out, but it excited the man. No, no. This wasn't supposed to happen!

"Haddock's missin' out." Her attacker growled out while grinning at the reaction he got out of her. " I think I'll-" The man didn't get to finish as a boot connected with the side of his face causing him to roll off Astrid.

"Astrid, Hey! You okay?! Hey, Come on, say something!" The blurred figure of a concerned Ruffnut suddenly appeared into her line of vision as sweet oxygen filled her lungs.

"R-ruffnut… Wh-here…" Her throat was on fire. Her head throbbed. She needed to focas. They weren't out of danger yet. Ruffnut almost looked as bad as she did. Instead of black and blue bruises forcming around her throat, Ruffnut had a black eye forming, a busted lip and most likely other bruising here and there. Astrid gripped ahold of Ruffnut's shoulders as she was lifted up to stand.

"R-ruff… Where did…he go." Astrid searched around for the leader of the pack weakly as her lungs burned with air while weakly holding herself up.

"I don't know. He does that disappearing thing like Viggo… He was just here a minute ago." Ruffnut had also lost track of their captor.

"I never stray too far, my dear."

"Astrid!"

A glint of a blade glinted to her left in her peripheral vision, but Ruffnut was there.

Things happened to fast for the weakened Astrid. A sputtering sound was heard. Astrid turned her head slowly with widening eyes. "Ruff.."

Ruffnut slowly peered down at the arrow logged into the lower right side of her stomach. She sucked in a breath as pain engulfed her.

"This wasn't exactly what I had in mind. Plans change." The attacker grinned as he stepped towards the two. With that, Lo'kir shoved the injured twin back into the pit, her body landing with a thud in a cloud of dust.

"N-no… Ruff!" Astrid was managing to stand on her own now. She found her voice and glared up at the hunter. "You will pay for this with your life." She seethed.

"Hiccup Haddock will come. I did not intend to harm your friend. She got in the way. Your friends will have to make a choice. I will collect my bounty and you will go free. But I cannot have you escape." The vibrant silver eyes glared and gave her a shove. Luckily, the way her body had hit the side of the wall caused her to miss Ruffnut as she landed into the bed of dust.

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 **Feedback is greatly appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2 - Sacrifice

**Chapter Two – Sacrifice**

" **Sometimes in life, you do things you don't want to. Sometimes you sacrifice, sometimes you compromise. Sometimes you let go and sometimes you fight. It's all about deciding what's worth losing and what's worth keeping** **." -** **Lindy Zart**

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Ruffnut!"

Pain was evident. Her body felt heavy as if she had been punched. Well… she had. But it felt different. There was a prickly, numbing sensation on the right side of her body. It like she was wearing a yak-fleeced parka with her body buried deep within the layers of fur. Her stare was unfocused but, she faintly noticed the grate being shut above her.

"Ruffnut!"

After being re-tossed into the bit, the wind was knocked out of her. She's landed like a dead tree into the heavy dust at the bottom. Her breathing was labored, but she _was_ breathing.

"Ruffnut!"

She felt as if her name was being called. It was a muffled call and her mind didn't register anything until the blurred figure of Astrid popped in within her line of vision, blocking the sunlight from above.

"Ruffnut, can you hear me?"

The feeling of light pressure could be felt against her chest as Astrid began ripping her vest from her shoulders. Right. Her mind and body weren't exactly on the same pace, but Ruffnut remembered what had happened. She'd taken the hit for Astrid.

"Come on, Thorston. Give me something. I have to know that your still with me." Astrid commanded firmly. She fumbled with the vest but her eyes were vibrant.

Ruffnut managed to get her brain to connect with her left arm. She lifted it and trusted it wildly towards Astrid's shoulder in a weak attempt to pry her away. " I-I hear ya. ... Didn't know I was your type, Hoff."

A ghost of a smirk appeared across Astrid's lips. She seemed satisfied with that reaction. "You're right, I usually don't go for the idiots."

Ruffnut didn't respond, but he gave a weak grin. "Ugh... What... are you doing?"

"We can use your vest to help with the bleeding. You're bleeding a lot. We have to stop it. I'm going to sit you up, okay?" Astrid replied hastily while refusing to wait for Ruffnut's reply. This was bad. The arrow was still stuck in her and Astrid knew better than to pull it out. The wound was bleeding badly but if she were to put it out without proper medical attention...

Hiccup... She needed Hiccup.

Ruffnut didn't protest with any snide comments but she grunted as pain fled up through her chest. The bile and sand that had built itself up in her throat threatened to come up. She felt the warmth of her vest leave her shoulders ND her back pressing against the wall. Her head throbbed from the sudden movement. She finally got a good look at Astrid.

"You look like yak dung." Ruffnut shot out while attempting to regain her bearings and worked hard to get her breathing under control.

Astrid stifled a short laugh. "You don't look to good yourself either, Thorston."

"Who would notice." Ruffnut snickered weakly with a short shrug of her bare shoulders. She watched Astrid ball up the vest in confusion.

"Okay. Here goes. Are you ready?"

"Ready for wha- Ah! Gods!" Ruffnut flinched as the pain hit the inside of her body as Astrid pressed the vest against her stomach. She maneuvered it around the arrow. The vest was supposed to be weather resilient, but Astrid could visibly see the blood soaking through.

"P-pull it o-out! I feel it." Ruffnut seethed through her teeth while using her left arm to reach for the thin wood.

Astrid caught her wrist firmly before it could within inches. "No. It has to stay in! You'll bleed out!"

"I'm already bleeding out! If you're to chicken, I'll do it!"

"Ruffnut, no! You pull the arrow out and you bleed out faster! Do you want to die?"

Ruffnut wrenched her wrist away, but Astrid refused to let her guard down. Both blondes glared at each other intently.

"No. I rather not." Ruffnut shook her head slowly with a deep frown on her face.

"Just let me do this. Stay still. Hiccup will be here soon..." Astrid huffed and fell silent as she tied the vest to her companion's stomach using her own belt to keep it from falling off to much.

Silence occurred.

Astrid glanced back up towards Ruff to make sure she was still awake. Her skin was pale. The blood on her forehead had dried and crusted and dried into the layer of sweat. Ruffnut was staring back at her. Quickly looking back down, she tied off the belt and sat back on her knees. She reached back to the vest to press it back down while making sure it was secured.

"Ah! Astrid... Stop." Ruffnut hissed in reaction to the pain. Her stare turned into a glare. "Leave it alone..."

Silence followed once more.

"I'll definitely get a scar now. It's gonna look so cool." Ruffnut mused as she leaned her head back against the wall while watching the grate at the top of the pit.

Astrid hovered but eventually planted herself on Ruff's right side against the wall. She pulled her knees up to her chest. She could still feel grubby hands on her. She made a promise to herself to cut them off when she got out of here… If Ruffnut hadn't been there…

"Why'd you do it?" Astrid asked out loud before she could stop herself. "Lo'kir…He had a clear shot of me. I was his target, he wanted me. ... You know what. Just never do that again."

"Haha, no surprise there. Everyone wants you." Ruffnut let her head tilt to the side against the wall while watching her dully. Way to kill the mood, Astrid.

"What are you talking about?"

Ruffnut groaned and swatted at her hand on the makeshift bandage. "What do you mean?"

Astrid narrowed her eyes towards the twin. "If you have something to say, then say it."

Ruffnut shrugged her shoulders, wincing as she did so. Her body was stiff and sore. "You don't see it? Astrid, Astrid, Astrid. Everything is about Astrid."

"Ruff, that is so not true. Where do get these crazy ideas? No, you know what, don't answer that. Point is, none of that makes sense." Astrid watched as a drip of pink tinted sweat rolled down Ruffnut's temple. She didn't have to physically feel her head to know that Ruffnut was burning up.

This was bad. She had to keep her talking.

"Yes it is. You remember when you got infected with The Scourge of Odin? Things fell apart. Hiccup was so stressed out. He was… mad. We almost didn't save you and it was terrible. I don't want to see him look like that again. Face it, the world can't handle not having a pretty face with big ideas in it." Ruffnut replied bitterly. It was truly a terrible time when Astrid was down. She didn't like it. The boys didn't like it. Stormfly was as wild as ever. She refused to look at Astrid, but could feel those intense eyes on her. "In other words, for you to understand, I'm not worth as much as you are."

Astrid couldn't find the words to backlash her. How was she supposed to respond when she heard words like that? No one had openly said anything like this to her before. They weren't true.. it was the fever talking. Right? Ruffnut thought... No. Her eyes became fierce.

"Ruffnut Thorston, don't ever say something like that again! You are /not/ expendable. Three years ago, I would have something differently. But now, you're a dragon rider."

"Heh. Whatever you say, mom." Ruffnut shrugged her off with a dull tone and a half slit gaze.

Suddenly, Astrid pivoted herself from the wall and took a firm hold on Ruffnut's shoulders. Ruffnut was forced to look at her. Ice blue eyes met sky blue. "You are important, Ruff. Just like me. No one knows how to keep your brother or your dragon in line, like you do. You're fearless and stubborn as a bull yak. Don't ever think that you're not."

Ruffnut stared up at her in surprise as she had no idea that Astrid had the heart to tell her these things. Maybe she was saying these things because Ruffnut was on her death bed. Ruffnut wasn't stupid. She knew how bad she was and the ferocity in Astrid's eyes didn't help the situation. She wondered if Astrid knew that she was dying. Things certainly weren't looking good for the two.

"If you say so, Hofferson."

Astrid let her go and flopped back by her side. "I know so, Thorston."

Ruffnut leaned her head back again while watching the sunlight bright up the dust dancing around near the walls. All this talking was making her tired. If her brother was here, he would be telling her how weak she was. Sleep, after all, was for the weak. The thought of her brother caused her heart to clench. They were supposed to walk into the gates of Valhalla together, not separately. Tuffnut would be okay though, he had always been the strongest out of the two. Barf would take care of him.

Wow. All this thinking was making her even more tired. She could feel sleep overpowering her. Maybe just for a few minutes...

Astrid had been in deep thought while having an inner battle with herself. She hadn't ever thought that Ruffnut would feel like that... Guilt wrenched in her chest at the thought of /how long/ she had been feeling that way and was angry at herself for not noticing before this situation.

Astrid did, however, notice the silence. She could no longer hear Ruffnut's labored breathing. Her head snapped towards the twin and panic pricked into the pit of her stomach.

"Ruffnut?!"

Astrid shifted her weight back onto Ruff while giving her arm a few shakes. Ruff was as white as a sheet. Her breathing was shallow and her head rolled loosely in reaction to Astrid's shaking. "Ruffnut, you can't go to sleep. You have to stay awake! Ruff!"

"S-stop...Hoff." Ruffnut breathed out in a weak response. She was out again.

"No, no, no. Ruff. Stay with me. You have to make it back to, Tuff!" Astrid pulled the wounded Viking against her. She knocked the loose hair out of Ruffnut's face.

"Oh, Thor! Please, don't take her yet." Astrid muffled under her breath. This went from bad to worse. How would she explain this to Tuffnut. She couldn't think of one twin without the other.

"You listen to me, Thorston. You better wake up or else I'll -" She didn't get the time to get her threat all out before the roar of a night fury echoed from the sky above her.

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 **Thanks for the Feedback! Chapter 2 Down, On to Chapter 3!  
*Note: I also posted this story on Archive of Our Own.**


	3. Chapter 3 - Darkness

" **Death is a challenge. It tells us not to waste time… It tells us to tell each other right now that we love each other." - Leo Buscaglia**

 **Chapter 3 - Darkness**

This was beyond bad at this point.

Ruffnut couldn't quite make out what Astrid was saying to her. The words were jumbled and there were to many breaks between them.

Her vision faded, but cleared up again. Astrid was pretty when she was upset. Her cheeks were rosy with denial and her eyes were sharp with determination. But Astrid was pretty is most situations.

" _No, Ruff, Stay …. me. You have …make it back to…!"_

Ruffnut felt an uncomfortable pull at her stomach, but visibly relaxed when the pressure was off. She let herself lean against something soft. So soft. She felt fingers remove hair from her face. Astrid was talking to her, but she was unable to form any words to answer her back properly.

By Thor, it was hard enough to keep her eyes open. With every minute that passed, they threatened to close for good. Ruff's brain tried to tell her lips to give her companion a reassuring grin, but Astrid's prodding didn't stop.

She was going to die. She knew it. This had to be what was happening to her.

Right? Was this what it felt like to die? She didn't want to die. She wanted to live. Ruff hadn't actually ever given any thought to the actual process of dying. She didn't have time to think about it now though. Her head hurt too much. Her body hurt too much. It seemed that everything hurt too much. But the excorticating pain was tapering off. She began to feel a cold sweat enveloping her body but she wasn't sure where it came from or if it was actually happening. Her mind was shutting down, telling her to stop thinking all together. How was she supposed to think about not thinking? That's something Tuff would think about.

Tuffnut… Dread instantly chilled her body.

The thought of her twin sent her mind in some sort of panic. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. They were twins. Born together, live together, die together. It was an unspoken pact between the two of them that no one would ever fully understand. She didn't want to die alone. She wanted to live and die with her brother by her side in some sort of chaotic mess like it was supposed to be. A part of her was happy that it wasn't her that would have to live through losing her brother. She wouldn't be able to **live** with herself. It was selfish of her to think about that, but out of the two of them, Tuff would be okay. He **had** to be okay. Tuff was the stronger twin. He would make it through it.

It wasn't supposed to happen this way. They were supposed to go together.

Ruffnut could no longer feel Astrid prodding at her. Little black dots swarmed her vision, the corners of her sight slowly fading into black. Everything was blotting out.

 _"Ruffnut, you can't go to sleep. You have to stay awake! Ruff!"_

Astrid was yelling at her again. She faintly felt her prodding at her again and her body felt to heavy in the determined Viking's grasp. Ruffnut fought to remain conscious, even sputtering out some words but the only words audible were " _S-stop…..Hoff."_

The last thing Ruffnut saw before darkness consumed her completely was Astrid's beautiful, distorted face and blue eyes struck with panic.

 **It's been a while. This story is not abandoned and it won't be! It will get finished! Life happened. It was originally supposed to only have three chapters, but plans have changed. I'm half way done with the next chapter! Thank you all for sticking with the story despite lack of updates.**


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